I've got a WINPE 2.0 BootCD (which I built from the WAIK) which does the following:

1. loads up

2. calls diskpart from starnet.cmd

3 imagex applys a syspreped image of xp sp2

4 reboot

Diskpart instructions:

select disk 0

clean

create part primary size=9500

select part 1

active

format fs=ntfs label="SYSTEM" quick

assign letter=c

exit

Now the cd has been used on a brand new HP DC7800 which is preconfigured as follows:

xp pro xp2 sp2

2 partition / 65gb + 10gb / c: and d:

It boots the cd fine, diskparts and then copies the image down. On Reboot the machine says "BOOTMGR is missing". If we boot from the CD again and run through the diskpart, reimage and then reboot it loads as expected.

Whats going wrong on the first pass, why is BOOTMGR missing and why is it fixed when we re do the process?

I've used this same process on other machines with no problem.

Any help appreciated.

Here's what I use for Diskpart:

SELECT DISK 0
CLEAN
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY ID=7
FORMAT FS=NTFS LABEL=System QUICK
ASSIGN LETTER=C
ACTIVE

It took like 5 hours for me to get this simple diskpart script working right

My diskpart script works. I mean, on other computers that I have tried it on I am having no problems. But I'm getting the feeling there is something that could be added to improve the script..

I dunno, but im sure (and hope!) there are many people here who can help out.

Well, notice ho0w I set my partition ID to 7? You may want to try that.

In case the issue is still unresolved, you may want to run the bootsect /nt52 c: /force command after you lay down the XP image to change the boot sector to be XP/2003 compatible. The bootsector for Vista/PE2 is /nt60 and is slightly different.